Kaplan : Crusaders can feel hard done by

Former Super Rugby and Test referee Jonathan Kaplan says that the Crusaders can feel "hard done by" as the penalty against Richie McCaw in the second last minute was wrong.

Kaplan's fellow South African referee Craig Joubert was in charge of the Super Rugby final between the Waratahs and the Crusaders and the title came down to a last minute penalty kick which just snuck over the crossbar.

With two minutes remanining on the clock the Crusaders were leading 30-32 when Joubert penalised All Black captain Richie McCaw. Bernard Foster kicked the penalty putting the Waratahs into the lead and they won the title.

Kaplan said overall Joubert's composure in the final was "supreme" and that he "allowed the game to breathe" and that he "managed the players superbly" and overall he "did a magnificent job".

However Kaplan said that he did not "agree with the scrum penalties against the Tahs, as the Crusaders loosehead is not square on set up. "

Kaplan said that he did not agree with Joubert's decision to award the penalty to the Waratahs that effectively won them the match and the title.

"The final penalty against the Crusaders was also incorrect as there was no tackle! " Kaplan said on the site RatetheRef.

"This was indeed a very disappointing end to a very well refereed match, and the Crusaders would have reason to feel a little hard done by…"

Kaplan went on to add that he felt that in the 2014 Super Rugby tournament the "general standard of refereeing was not the best I have seen. There are some who are doing well, but the general standard is not good enough for a competition which is on the global stage. "

Kaplan said that he thought that Crusaders winger Nemani Nadolo's second half try possibly should not have been awarded as he may have been in touch.

"The work of the TMOs was a borderline disaster until the latter stages of the competition, but there was also an incident once again in the final where it appeared as if Nadolos foot touches the line on his way to scoring the Crusaders second try," said Kaplan.

Kaplan said that the standard of refereeing has to improve or else the game of rugby will suffer.

"Something has to change. Something has to give. Otherwise this game will continue to be dogged by controversy, and there is only a certain amount that can be swept under the carpet."